An Exploratory Study of Social Workers in Human Service Organizations and Their Task Performance in Client Advocacy Engagement: A Cluster Analysis

Using a heuristic conceptual framework of individual work performance consisting of four dimensions of performance (i.e. task performance, contextual performance, counterproductive work behavior, and adaptive performance), this study explores social workers’ task performance in client advocacy engagement. A TwoStep cluster analysis was conducted to identify population clusters of social workers working in human service organizations based on their task performance in client advocacy engagement across seven core problem domains. Data was used from a cross-sectional study conducted with an analytic sample of social workers (N = 286). Results revealed a 2-cluster solution, profiled as Low-Diffused (Cluster 1; 42%) and High-Concentrated (Cluster 2; 58%). The three core problem domains with the highest relative importance in differentiating cluster membership were problems with clients’ rights and ethics, lack of mental health care, and lack of preventive care. Findings indicate that client advocacy engagement is a central task performed by social workers in HSOs.